[Routine Order] SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. No. 52/44 continued. — Orders & Appendices

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SQUADRON ROUTINE ORDERS. No. 52/44 continued.
PAGE TWO.
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Para. 203. DISCIPLINE : DRESS AND SALUTING.
The following is an extract from a letter addressed to the
Commanding Officer by the D.G.O.A.(Air) for attention of and strict
compliance by all members of this Unit.
"Your attention is once again directed to the present most
unsatisfactory state of affairs concerning dress of both the officer
and other rank members of the S.A.A.F. when on leave or when walking
out. The increasing tendency to disregard dress regulations and to
appear in public in slovenly and untidy dress has been observed and
has been the subject of adverse comment by senior officers in other
services. This is having the effect of bringing our Service and the
U.D.F. generally into disrepute and will not be tolerated.
It would appear that certain officers and other ranks of the
S.A.A.F. have chosen to assume, when it suits their convenience, that
they are governed by R.A.F. dress regulations. It is to be made quite
clear to all concerned that S.A.A.F. G.R.O's are applicable to all
S.A.A.F. personnel in this Command and that any member of the S.A.A.F.
guilty of an infringement of such orders and claiming immunity from,
or ignorance of, them, will be most severely dealt with.
In future, every member of your unit proceeding out of unit
lines on leave or on pass is to be inspected and is not to be permitted
to proceed unless he is correctly and neatly dressed.
You are, furthermore, to take firm disciplinary action
against all members of your unit who are reported upon as being incorrect-
ly or slovenly dressed. In this connection, it may be mentioned that,
in future, a copy of all C.M.P. reports will be submitted to this office,
as well as to the unit concerned, and in all cases a statement as to
what action was taken is required from the unit.
Your attention is also directed to the fact that the standard
of saluting in the S.A.A.F., particularly on the part of junior officers,
leaves much to be desired. Failure to pay compliments is a direct
reflection on the discipline of the unit or Service concerned, and
severe disciplinary action is to be taken in all cases of this type of
indiscipline.
The contents of this minute are to be brought to the notice
of all ranks under your command and an assurance that this has been
done is required."
Para. 204. SHOWERS.
Personnel are not to make fires for the Showers after 19.00 hrs.
(Signature illegible) LT. COL.
for COMMANDING. 21 SQUADRON, S.A.A.F.

Transcriber's Notes

Transcriber's Historical & Tactical Notes:
* Discipline and Identity (The Dress Code War):
* S.A.A.F. vs. R.A.F. Identity: This order reveals a fascinating tension between the South African Air Force (S.A.A.F.) and the Royal Air Force (R.A.F.). The letter complains that South African personnel were conveniently adopting R.A.F. dress regulations "when it suits their convenience.". This likely refers to the more relaxed or "irregular" dress often tolerated in seasoned R.A.F. desert units (like the wearing of non-standard scarves, suede "desert boots," or lack of ties). The U.D.F. (Union Defence Force) command was determined to maintain a distinct national identity and strict discipline, fearing that "slovenly" appearance brought the South African service into "disrepute" among Allied partners.
* "Walking Out" Dress: The order specifically targets appearance "when on leave or when walking out.". In forward areas like Biferno, dress was often functional and casual. However, when soldiers went on leave to cities like Naples or Bari, they entered the view of high-ranking Allied officers and Military Police (C.M.P.), where appearance was strictly scrutinized.
* Saluting: The rebuke regarding the "standard of saluting... particularly on the part of junior officers" is a classic sign of a unit that has been in the field for a long time. Combat fatigue often eroded formal military courtesies, necessitating periodic "spit and polish" crackdowns by rear-echelon command.
* Logistics of Hygiene (Showers):
* Fire Curfews: The final order—"Personnel are not to make fires for the Showers after 19.00 hrs"—is a practical blackout measure. Fires lit after dark (19:00 hours) risked creating light signatures visible to enemy night reconnaissance aircraft or raiders. It also implies that hot water was a luxury provided by wood-fired "donkey boilers," a common improvisation in field camps.
* Abbreviations:
* D.G.O.A.(Air): Director General of Air (Administration).
* U.D.F.: Union Defence Force (South Africa).
* G.R.O's: General Routine Orders.
* C.M.P.: Corps of Military Police.
* S.A.A.F.: South African Air Force.

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Verification:
Target File Verification: The document is dated 6th June, 1944 in the "DATE" field. It is a Sortie Report (No. 707) labeled APPENDIX "G" (page number 312).